Hindustan Motors is all set to roll out its old warhorse, the Ambassador, in a new avatar. On the anvil are not only new variants of the Ambassador but also an aggressive effort to overhaul the image it has of it being merely a car for the `babus' to that of a more technology-oriented car, meant for families to drive around with pride.

"We are looking to revive the brand Ambassador, as there exists an evident gap in customer perception about technological upgradations that have been brought in the car over time. The strategy therefore is to create awareness about the upgraded features of the car such as power steering, remote gearshift and so on. Also, we need to inform the people that despite the modern technological elements, Ambassador still maintains most relevant features such as space, sturdiness and easy availability of spare parts," says B. K. Chaturvedi, Executive Director, Hindustan Motors Ltd.

Not surprisingly, a recent BBC World survey of the automobile industry highlighted that the Ambassador is still perceived as the most trustworthy and safe car. As a part of its new strategy, the company has identified new markets and target audience. "Our focus will now be on smaller towns/mini metros (with populations of five lakh and above). We will also be targeting business families apart from a typical Indian joint family where couples share homes with their children as well as parents," says Chaturvedi.

Currently about 65 per cent of the Ambassador's sales are coming from non-metros and a large percentage from the taxi segment. In addition, the company will continue to market its existing range - the Ambassador Classic (l.8 litre and 2.0 litre) and the Ambassador Harit C 1500 with CNG for the taxi segment.